Chamber Music: A Model of Democracy

By Ann Kuffner 

The June 11th Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Miguel de Allende (UUFSMA) service will highlight music – especially Chamber Music. This service, featuring violinist Felicia Moye and pianist Paula Peace, will focus on chamber music as a model of democracy. But how in the world does chamber music, born in the aristocratic palaces of Europe centuries ago, offer us insights today into democracy, or “the belief in freedom and equality between people”? These two acclaimed professional classical musicians will join their talents to provide an answer and an unforgettable morning of musicmaking and collaboration.

Musicians find chamber music among the most deeply gratifying music to perform, with its freedom and spontaneity. Felicia and Paula will share insights into the behind the scenes process of rehearsing and negotiating a cohesive musical interpretation and the spontaneous magic in performance which can result. This service will include performances for violin and piano by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johannes Brahms.

Felicia Moye has performed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America as a concert violinist. She was first violinist with the Miami String Quartet when the group won top prizes in the London, Evian & Young Concert Artist’s International Quartet Competitions. 

Paula Peace, recognized as a pioneer among chamber musicians in the US, was pianist and founding Artistic Director of the Atlanta Chamber Players for almost 40 seasons. She performed in more than 250 cities in the US, Europe, and Mexico, commissioned or premiered 125+ works, and was featured in dozens of national radio broadcasts. 

Unitarian Universalism is a liberal faith inviting its community to gather around a set of harmonizing values and principles for living. Our UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Belief in a divinity is not the central issue around which we gather for worship and generous action. Rather, we come together with a belief in community, love, compassion, social justice, reverence for nature, and the spirituality of music, all within the interconnected web of existence.

UUFSMA donates generously to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button. 

To participate in our online Sunday Service, visit www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST. Enjoy previous services at https://www.youtube.com/UUFSMA.

UUFSMA meets in person Sundays at 10:30am at the Hotel Posada de la Aldea on Ancha San Antonio 15.